Another 100,000 confirmed a day... 'Delta mutation alert'
The aftermath has been significant in American society since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) abruptly changed its guidelines last Tuesday to require vaccinated people to wear masks indoors as well.
Some Republican lawmakers have ridiculed and ridiculed the CDC too much.
When Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi immediately declared that masks must be worn in the House of Representatives, Republicans marched in a no-mask protest on the Capitol.
In some areas with strong Republican support, there was a fierce backlash as masks were burned.
They say they are naturally inclined to do so, but many quarantine experts also criticized the CDC for not disclosing the data that overturned the mask policy.
It's been months since Americans have taken off their masks, and it's undesirable to publish massive guidelines that are changing the very way individuals behave, without providing adequate data.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, President Biden came out in person, announcing the de facto compulsory vaccination of federal officials. Federal officials were required to prove vaccinations, but if they refused, they would have to test for coronavirus several times a week and give results. The United States is a large country, so it takes a lot of time to get a corona test than Korea. President Biden used federal officials he could enforce as a pilot, but he didn't hide his hope that the government's actions would force businesses to make compulsory vaccinations for their employees. Even so, it was legal, and he personally disclosed the result that he inquired and received a reply from the Ministry of Justice. The United States was not much different from us in targeting civil servants when starting government policies.
In fact, the general atmosphere was that such a high-strength policy would not come out until the FDA formally approved the coronavirus vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna, and vaccines are all urgently approved by the FDA).
However, the spread of the delta mutation has become so serious that the US government has to act urgently.
Today (2nd), it is counted that the number of daily corona cases in the United States has exceeded 100,000.
On July 30, Johns Hopkins University counted 194,000 confirmed cases per day.
At the end of last year, at the end of the Trump administration, the infection situation returned again.
What's really worrisome is that the number of infections has tripled in just one month.
Florida recorded 38,000 infections per day on July 30, the highest number of confirmed cases since last year.
The graph of the confirmed cases is drawn as an airplane taking off from the runway.
The U.S. media, which has been reducing coverage of the coronavirus for a while, is also reporting on the delta mutation in a significant volume.
Until recently, American society was overflowing with relief that it had overcome Corona, but again, loud delta mutation alarms are ringing all over society.
"As strong as chickenpox"... "74% of Massachusetts Population Vaccines"
The Washington Post obtained data explaining why the CDC abruptly asked vaccinated people to wear masks indoors, and reported it exclusively late Thursday night. I was writing an article to send to Korea with President Biden's announcement that day, but I had no choice but to delete the article I was writing and rewrite it after seeing the Washington Post article. The Washington Post article started with the title 'The War has changed', which was reported by the CDC with inside slides. The document reported that the delta mutation is more lethal than other mutations and that the contagiousness is similar to chickenpox. . It is also said to be more contagious than the Ebola virus as well as the common cold (ABC News expressed that the delta mutation is three times more contagious than the Ebola virus). If the existing corona infected 2 or 3 people, the delta mutation can spread up to 9 people. Since it is a virus with such a tremendous spreading ability, the number of infected people will increase literally exponentially after just a few steps.
But the bigger problem was the conclusion that even vaccinated people can transmit the virus. Examination of the virus in infected people showed that those who were vaccinated spread the virus as much as those who were not vaccinated. This talk has the potential to make us doubt the government's persuasion that there is no need to worry about the coronavirus if only the vaccine is given. The CDC was also concerned about a 'communication challenge' in US documents. The point is that if you get the vaccine, you won't get seriously ill or die if you get the delta mutation, but you have to admit that people who get the vaccine can infect others. Due to this urgent situation, the CDC has decided that it is possible to prevent unnecessary sacrifices by changing the mask regulations first, without being able to completely organize the data. Even if you are criticized for not publishing data in a timely manner, it means that you have to stop the spread of infection first. The CDC reiterated in its documents that the best weapon against delta mutations is vaccination.
The CDC published the results of its delta mutation investigation in public document form on Friday in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. This case report identified the reality of the delta mutation through the results of a coronavirus cluster infection investigation in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, where a mass rally was held from July 3 to 17. At this time, 469 people who were infected were actually followed, and 90% were infected with the delta mutation, and 74% of those infected were vaccinated. Of these breakthrough infections, 79% became symptomatic and reported that four people were hospitalized but none eventually died. The spread of the delta mutation was also terrifying. In Barnstable County, the two-week average of infections per 100,000 on July 3 was 0, but on July 17, after the event was over, it was confirmed that the number of infections per 100,000 had soared to 177. That's it. While this report is far from showing the full picture of delta mutations, it could be an important clue to explain the midsummer US coronavirus explosion. Although there are several limitations, the conclusion that can be drawn from this report is that ① even if you are vaccinated, you can be infected with the delta mutation. However, even if you do, your risk is significantly lowered. So, you should get vaccinated. ② The propagation power of delta mutation is unimaginable. So you need to wear a mask. I think it can be summarized with this kind of message.
It's also important to keep in mind that breakthrough infections are still very small when viewed as a whole.
According to the CDC, out of the 164 million Americans who have been vaccinated, 35,000 are breaking through each week.
This is only 0.02%.
In terms of deaths, it is only 0.001%.
It is up to you to decide if you will get the vaccine and have a 99.999% chance of not dying from the coronavirus.
As the severity of the delta mutation comes to light, vaccination rates have been on the rise for some time in the South Central states, which have struggled with low vaccination rates.
In the US news these days, there is a line of interviews with patients who regret that they were admitted to the intensive care unit and got vaccinated by mistake.
In fact, the families of the deceased are also interviewing with tears about the messages the deceased left with me.
On average, about 650,000 people a week are getting the vaccine, which is a 26% increase compared to three weeks ago.
Alabama and Arkansas doubled, while Louisiana rose 111%.
It is analyzed that people who believed in various conspiracy theories and endured that there was no corona were moved because they were afraid to see people around them actually getting sick.
Complex mask-wearing regulations, punctured proof of vaccination… Herd immunity is a 'miracle'
Watching this delta mutation outbreak, I had no choice but to think that the 'Honor System' that drives American society was broken. Because America values individual liberty, it puts discretion first and is extremely wary of anything the state forces it to do. However, it is not enough to completely overcome the pandemic without more active intervention by the state. Unvaccinated people were told to wear masks on their own, but as they took off their masks themselves, the problem grew out of control. In addition, due to the reluctance to prove vaccination, it is difficult to know who has received the vaccine because even clear standards have not been established. The federal government does not manage vaccination records, but most state governments have vaccination records (Virginia has all kinds of vaccine records, including corona and flu shots) .
Moreover, the urgency of the CDC also complicates the new rules for wearing masks. In areas where the spread of Corona is substantial or high, even vaccinated persons are required to wear masks indoors, but since areas are divided based on the infection rate, you have to find the local government's wearing regulations for each area you move. Because the recommendations are so complex, even the state governments, which have the actual executive power, are often hesitant (though Washington, D.C. has begun requiring citywide indoor masking on Saturday). The CDC recommendation is only a recommendation, and it is left to individual discretion, so people who did not wear a mask are simply not wearing it. When I went to Costco, I could see that even after the CDC recommendation, about one-third were still not wearing masks as they did.
Some Republican governors are even trying to steer clear of issuing executive orders to prevent mandatory mask wearing. Arizona's Ash Polk Union School District had no choice but to lock and lock the doors of schools affiliated with the District of Education after the coronavirus outbreak, but it is said that masks could not be used because the governor banned the mandatory wearing of masks. The governor of Florida also emphasized that there is no compulsory wearing of a mask, and vowed to allow parents to decide to wear a mask. For now, governors in these areas will be cheered by their supporters, but the cost will be disastrous. This kind of stupid decision-making is happening all over America.
The booster shot in the US seems to be a matter of time. Although President Biden drew the line "not now," the CDC's internal report also made it clear that people with weakened immune systems and residents of nursing homes need booster shots. The US has already bought a vaccine for booster shots. At an appropriate time, booster vaccination will be started, but it is assumed that this will not be confined to some vulnerable groups. In the second half of the year, in the United States, it is thought that the new vaccine will be vaccinated for those who have passed 6 months after vaccination, as well as children under the age of 12 at the same time. Even now, on social media, you can easily find people who have been vaccinated with the Janssen vaccine and who say that they have been vaccinated again with the mRNA-based vaccine. It seems that the Korean government should take good care of it so that we do not miss the vaccine we need to secure because of such demand in the second half of the year.
This CDC report also made it clearer that achieving herd immunity in the United States is just a mirage. Breakthrough infections are occurring in a very small number among those who have been vaccinated, and it has been confirmed that they carry the virus. It is extremely difficult for humanity to respond in a timely manner to the coronavirus, which is constantly equipped with new firearms. Complete eradication is virtually impossible, and even if the corona enters people's bodies, there is no choice but to make it pass as gently as possible. Moreover, there is a huge group in the United States who wholeheartedly reject vaccines and masks for political and religious reasons. It is undeniable that they were the mainstream powers of the United States under the previous administration and could become mainstream again at any time. The U.S. case of Corona shows just how foolish a person can be to make foolish choices based on their beliefs.